Humanitarian officials warn people could die as a result of Trump’s foreign aid halt

Officials inside and outside of the US government are grappling with the fallout of the Trump administration’s sudden suspension of almost all foreign aid with some humanitarian officials warning that people will die as a result.

Officials inside and outside of the US government are grappling with the fallout of the Trump administration’s sudden suspension of almost all foreign aid with some humanitarian officials warning that people will die as a result. The sweeping directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pause nearly all US aid has brought scores of programs – from global health to emergency shelter to countertrafficking – to a halt. The “unprecedented” scale of the directive has left aid organizations scrambling as they struggle to get clear answers from the US government, more than half a dozen humanitarian officials told CNN. The freeze on foreign aid was outlined in a diplomatic cable from Rubio on Friday. That cable called for immediate stop work orders on existing efforts, a suspension of the disbursement of funds, and a hold on future projects, pending a review. It only specifically outlined emergency food assistance and foreign military financing for Israel and Egypt as exemptions. CNN has asked the State Department if any additional waivers have been granted. It is unclear if the temporary block of the White House’s broader attempted freeze on federal aid impacts the freeze on foreign assistance. The impact of the aid freeze is already being felt and could have catastrophic implications, humanitarian officials said. One predicted that even if the suspension continues for two more weeks, thousands could die. And the freeze, if continued, could cause a huge number of organizations doing the work to close permanently, as they are not receiving the funding to keep their employees. It would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to close their offices. Although officials have attempted to get answers through lawmakers and others, they said they have been met with silence or conflicting answers. Many US officials, they said, now fear retribution from Trump administration officials if they are seen as questioning or attempting to evade the halt. On Monday, nearly 60 USAID senior staff were put on sudden paid leave, with the agency acting head telling staff they “identified several actions within USAID that appeared designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people.”